This invention relates generally to a check valve and more particularly to a check valve for a fuel passage of a prechamber assembly of an internal combustion engine.
Prechamber systems are well known in the art to provide engines with a stratified combustion in order to reduce undesirable exhaust emissions in an internal combustion engine. Typical systems use a nozzle, spark plug, and check valve. The check valve must open and closed with the engine""s combustion cycle to prevent contamination of the fuel with exhaust and/or leakage of fuel into the exhaust gases.
Typical check valves for prechamber systems are the ball check valve and shuttle type check valve. Ball and shuttle type check valves consist of several bores having manufacturing limitations, for example wall thickness, machining, and sealing. These limitations constrain engineers from designing ball or shuttle checks into engines that have space limitations.
The prechamber system must be designed to fit into the cylinder head. Typical cylinder head designs are designed having four valves at a maximum permissible diameter to provide increased air flow and thus improve engine breathing. Additionally, engineers are designing larger cooling passages in the cylinder head to dissipated the heat transmitted from combustion. Cylinder head designs are providing less space for fuel system components, such as the prechamber. Furthermore, servicing of the prechamber is desired and typical prechambers require that the valve be removed for servicing. Engineers typically design the prechamber to fit between the engine valves so that servicing may be accomplished without removing the engine valves which is difficult to accomplish using state of the art check valves that are well known in the art.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
In one aspect of the present invention, a check valve includes a carrier member, a stop member, and a ring member. The carrier member has first and second opposed sides, an annular ring groove disposed in the carrier member and opening at the second side, and a plurality of first orifices disposed in the carrier member and opening into the annular ring groove. The stop member has first and second opposed sides and a plurality of first orifices disposed in the stop member and opening at the first side, and the first side at least partially engages the second side of the carrier member. The ring member is movably disposed in the annular ring groove of the carrier member and movable between a first position at which the ring member is adapted to block fluid communication between the plurality of first orifices in the carrier and stop members and a second position at which the ring member passes fluid between the plurality of first orifices in the carrier and stop members.
In another aspect of the present invention, a combustion prechamber assembly for an internal combustion engine includes an upper housing, a lower housing, a check valve, and a prechamber member. The upper housing has an inlet in fluid communication with a supply of gaseous fuel and an outlet port in fluid communication with an annular supply groove. The lower housing has an inlet port in fluid communication with a plurality of first orifices and an outlet port in fluid communication with a fuel receiving chamber. The check valve has a carrier member, a stop member, and a ring member disposed between the carrier and stop members. The check valve is disposed between the upper and lower housings. The ring member has a first position adapted to block fluid communication between the outlet port of the upper housing and the inlet port of the lower housing and a second position adapted to pass fluid between the outlet port of the upper housing and the inlet port of said lower housing. The prechamber member has the fuel receiving chamber disposed therein. The fuel receiving chamber has an inlet port in communication with the outlet port of the lower housing and at least one orifice.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of servicing an ignition assembly includes an upper housing, a lower housing having a first portion having a first surface and a second portion, a spark plug, and a check valve having a carrier member, a stop member fixedly attached to the carrier member, and a ring member resiliently disposed in the carrier member. The method comprises the steps of threadably disengage the spark plug from the second portion of the lower housing. Threadably disengage the upper housing from the first portion of the lower housing. Relatively longitudinally lift the check valve from the first surface of the first portion. Relatively longitudinally deposit another check valve and the stop member engages the first surface of the first portion. Threadably engage the upper housing with the first portion of the lower housing. Threadably engage the spark plug with the second portion of the lower housing.